Here's a look at five players, and a sixth man, who could spark their teams to conference tournament titles and perhaps much more:

Montrezl Harrell, Louisville: The 6-8 sophomore forward has been a steady paint presence for the defending national champion. He continues to blossom while filling the void of last year's big man, Gorgui Dieng. Harrell's saving the best for last, going for 20 points and 11 rebounds Saturday in a rout of Connecticut and tallying 25 points and 12 rebounds March 1 in a win against Memphis.

Chaz Williams, Massachusetts: The senior point guard ranks third in the nation in assists (7.1 a game) and is the key on a team that has potential to win the Atlantic 10 tournament and be a dark horse in the NCAAs.

D'Vauntes Smith-Rivera, Georgetown: The sophomore guard has been an explosive scorer, breaking out for 31 points in a Jan. 4 win against St. John's. To get to the NCAA tournament the Hoyas will need to reach the Big East tournament final, and that'll hinge upon solid production from Smith-Rivera.

Yogi Ferrell, Indiana: The Hoosiers have beaten the Big Ten's best (Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio State), and Ferrell (17.4 ppg, 3.9 apg) was a catalyst in each of those victories. Indiana is at the top of the list for bid thieves this week, and the sophomore point guard could be a driving force in a surprise title run.

Marcus Foster, Kansas State: Because of the hype surrounding Kansas freshmen Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid, Foster has flown under the radar. He has the potential to take games over and lead the Wildcats on a surprise run. He had 29 points Saturday in a loss to Baylor and 34 Feb. 8 in a loss to Texas.

Cameron Bairstow, New Mexico: The Lobos came up short in their quest for the Mountain West regular-season title, finishing behind San Diego State. But New Mexico will get a shot at revenge and a chance to improve its NCAA tournament seeding in the Mountain West tournament. The 6-9 Bairstow, an Australian with great footwork, has the potential to lead the Lobos on that type of run.

Scott Gleeson, a national college basketball writer/digital producer for USA TODAY Sports, is on Twitter @ScottMGleeson.